The Last Show Before We Die is an intense, overwhelming, unique, vulnerable, tribute to endings in all their mess, beauty and inevitability. The Last Show Before We Die I’m going to start today by quoting myself: “I really liked that. I don’t quite know what I saw, but I liked it.” Me, when leaving The […]
Awkward Branch Productions make a first foray from film to theatre with One Year Itch, the story of Tania and her apparently cursed love life. One Year Itch Things could be better for Tania on a few fronts. It’s not that long since she had a bad breakup. She knows what her dream job is, […]
A modest exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Rubens & Women aims to reassess the idea that Rubens painted only ‘Rubenesque’ beauties. Rubens & Women The Salterton Arts Review is currently in a flurry of post-festive art enjoyment, fitting in exhibitions it wasn’t possible to see when they first opened in 2023. This means that […]
Blind Summit take inspiration from real interviews to create The Sex Lives of Puppets, exploring sexuality and sexual wellbeing in all its forms. Content warning: discusses sexual themes, obviously! The Sex Lives of Puppets Two older men describe their sex life in a care home. An actress talks about the importance of being seen as […]
Max Webster’s searing, thrilling Macbeth is far more than the novelty of its headphones. Macbeth Retold Macbeth is one of those Shakespearean plays performed with such frequency that I look for a special reason to see it again (A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet are in the same boat as far as I’m concerned). In […]
Armando Iannucci’s take on the (mis)handling of the pandemic by the British government, Pandemonium takes on topical satire with a group of faux-Jacobean players. Boris: God’s Gift to Comedy? And so, the first Salterton Arts Post of the year looks back to the past. Not the far-off past we sometimes like to explore here on […]
It’s time for the Salterton Arts Review’s annual tradition of welcoming in the new year by reflecting on this year’s cultural highlights. It’s the 2023 countdown! The 2023 Countdown: A Year In Review Looking back at my post from this time last year, I had urged myself in 2023 not to overdo things by trying […]
This extensive archaeological site within easy reach of central Budapest tells the story of the city’s origins and early history. Great for a half day’s exploration. Aquincum: Óbuda’s Hidden Gem On my recent long weekend in Budapest, I found there was more than enough in the city itself to satisfy my curiosity without any daytrips […]
Franz Liszt’s part–time residence in Budapest from 1876, the Royal Academy of Music’s Franz Liszt Memorial Museum provides an excellent opportunity to learn about his career as a piano virtuoso, composer and teacher. Liszt Ferenc, AKA Franz Liszt Before visiting the Franz Liszt Memorial Museum (Hungarian: Liszt Ferenc Emlékmúzeum), what I knew about Liszt could […]
The same complex in Budapest houses the Dohány Street Synagogue (Europe’s largest) and the Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives. Together they document a community’s history, continuity and traditions in sometimes unexpected ways. Introduction In my last post, a long weekend guide to Budapest, I briefly discussed the history of Budapest’s Jewish community and some of […]
